Zippo lighter Bottom Stamps & Date Codes reference chart

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As with most collectibles, the date of manufacture of a Zippo lighter often affects its value. Valuable information on the bottom of every Zippo lighter can help you determine its date of manufacture. Most lighters fabricated between 1933 and 1957 can be identified by style and model and the patent or patent-pending marks. Starting in the mid 50s, date codes were stamped on the bottom. The original purpose was for quality control. The date codes have since become an invaluable tool for Zippo collectors. The appearance of the word Zippo in the bottom stamp provides another clue to dating. There have been three major changes, as shown in inset. From 1933 to the mid 50s the word Zippo was stamped in block letters. The Zippo script logo was developed in the late 40s and was phased-in on the lighter bottom stamp around 1955. In the late 70s the logo was redesigned. It was incorporated into the bottom stamp in 1980. Below is a complete chart of the Zippo date codes. Regular Regular Slim Lighter Slim Lighter Lighter Lighter Year Left Side Right Side Left Side Right Side 1933 1937 Patent Pending Patent 2032695 Black Crackle, Patent 203695 1942-1946
(This number was stamped in error, it should have been Patent 2032695.)

Starting early in the year 2000, lighters produced feature the Zippo logo on the left, the month code in the center, and 2000 stamped above the Roman numeral XVI.

For 2001 and beyond, Zippo has introduced a new, easier to interpret date code. The letters A through L on the left of the Zippo logo still represent the month of manufacture. The year of manufacture, however, is now identified by the last two numbers of that year, stamped to the right of the Zippo logo.

The Zippo MPL was first produced in February of 2002.The MPL's manufactured in late February and March 2002 had a blank adjustment knob. The first MPL's to have a date code were those produced in April 2002 and thereafter.

c.1949c.1957

Patent 2517191 with patent pending

Zippo records indicate an overlap of bottom stamp configurations from 19491957. Also, some lighters produced between 1955-57 were date coded, however, specifics remain unclear. The date coding was fully in effect by 1959.

c.1951c.1957 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970

Patent 2517191 .... .... .... ... ... .. .. . . .... .... ... ... .. .. . .

Patent .... .... ... ... .. .. . . |||| |||| ||| ||| ||

2517191 .... ... ... .. .. . . |||| ||| ||| || ||

http://www.zippoclick.com/collecting/dateCodes.aspx

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Zippo lighter Bottom Stamps & Date Codes reference chart

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1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

|| | | //// //// /// /// //

| | //// /// /// // //

1979

An error was made in the date code. One of the slash marks was removed from the left of the Zippo trademark instead of being removed from the right; thus the code read: / //. This date code error was corrected within the same year to read: // /.

1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986

/ / \\\\ \\\\ \\\ \\\ \\

/ \\\\ \\\ \\\ \\ \\

Effective 7/1/86 the above system was replaced by year/lot code. Year is noted with Roman Numeral, the letter on the left designates lot month (A=Jan., B=Feb., etc.)

Year 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000

Regular & Slim Lighters Left Side G to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L

Regular & Slim Lighters Right Side II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI

Year 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010

Regular and Regular and Slim Slim Lighters Lighters Left Side Right Side A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

Zippo Multi-Purpose Lighter Left Side D to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L A to L Right Side 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10

http://www.zippoclick.com/collecting/dateCodes.aspx

2/03/2011

Zippo lighter Bottom Stamps & Date Codes reference chart

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http://www.zippoclick.com/collecting/dateCodes.aspx

2/03/2011